Signal-holder.



Patented May 2|, |901.

w. F. cQsTuN. SEGHAL MULDER.

(Application med geb. as, 1901.)

'Y Mhe/awo.,

L girnnm irrio n r. cos'roN, lor new YORK, N, Y.

SPECRFICATION forming part of T0 all whom iz'; nifty concern:

Be it known that l, W iLLmn F. Soeren, of New York, county oflew i ork, and State oi' New York, have invented new and useful Improvement in Signal-Holders, of which 'the following is a specification.

This invention has reference commonly known in the art as nais, in which a signal-cartridge is adapted to be temporarily held in a socket provided with a firing-pin for the purpose of igniting the cartridge. As heretofore constructed the handle has been longitudinal passage-way extending threi; it, in which was mounted a firing-pin encircled by a spiral spring bearing at one end on the pin and at its oppositerend against a bearing or pressure plate seated loosely within the socket. Under this arrangement the spring served to normally hold the firing-pin in a retracted position and at the same time urged the bearing-plate forward, so that when the cartridge was inserted the plate would yield until the former was secured in place,` when the plate would exert a pressure thereon and hold the cartridge firmly in position. The cartridge was' locked in the socket by means of studs or pins projecting inwardly `from the inner surface of the socket and adapted to enter a peripheral groove in the to what are Costco sigcartridge, the construction constituting a form of the familiar bayonet-joint. These pins served also to limit the forward movement ot' the hearing-plate under the iniiuence oi' the spring when the cartrhige was removed and under ordinary circumstances prevented the escape of the plate. device it has been Vfound that the bearingplate in some way frequently escapes from the socket, either in the act oi' removing the cartridge or in the handling ol' the device when the cartridge is not in place. This is the canse of much annoyance and surrounds the use of the handles with objections and uncertainty. It is the aim of the invention to overcome these objections; and the invention consists ina oearingplate of improved forni arranged in the socket in such manner that it will be prevented from escaping therei'roni and this without interfering in any manner with its function or that of the spring.

The invention consists also in the details inthe use of the l i l l l or handle l formed with a Letters Patent ne. stanco, dated may e1, 1901.

Application tiled February 28, 1901. Serial No.

49,328.' (No model.)

oi' construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.-

'ln .the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation o1' a handle or holder embodying my invention, showing the signal-cartridge in place therein. Fig. 2 is a similargview with the cartridge removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation through the socket on the line a a of Fig. 2, showing how the spring is permanently secured to the bearing-plate.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a suitable handle, preferably of wood and' adapted to hegraspedinthe hand, and 2 represents a tubular socket projecting from its forward end and adapted a signal-cartridge 3, which is provided with a base-block 4f, havinga peripheral groove 5, which when the cartridge is in the socketreceives pins 6, projecting inwardly from the inner surface of thesocket. The Said block is formed with vertical grooves to permit it to be inserted in the socket past the fastening-pins, after which it may be turned to lock it in place, as'clearly shown in Fig. l. The cartridge is, as usual, provided with a suitable primer adapted to be ignited by a firing-pin 7, slidingly mounted in a longitudinal passage-way in the handle, with its rear end exposed at the rear end ot' the handle and its other end pointed and adapted to be driven forward by the hand through a hole in the base-block in the cartridge in order to act ou the primer.

The passage-way in the handle is reduced in diameter at its roar end, form-ing a sh'oulder 9', against which abnts a washer-plate 10, fixed to the iiring-pin in the passage-way and serving to limit the The pin is encircled bya spiral spring 11, bearing at its rear end against the washerplate and tending to hold the pinretracted and acting aty its plate 12, formed with an annular iiange and mounted loosely in the socket in rear of the fastening-pin. The bearing-plateisprovided. with a central hole through which the pointed end of the firing-pin may be thrust to reach the primer, and when the cartridgeisinserte in place in.

forced backward against the pressure of `th spring, and thus serves when the cartridge i5 retraction of the pin.

opposite end on a bearingthe socket the bearing-platei in place to press thereon and hold it firmly in position, subject to the action of the locking-pin. Asheretofore constructed this plate has been in the form of a disk acted on by the spring, and as a result the plate was capable of tipping in the socket and in the use of the device frequently escaped therefrom. The present form of the plate with the annular lia-nge thereon prevents the same from tipping in the socket, so that its escape therefrom is impossible. As a further means of preventing the escape of the plate the end of the spring is permanently secured thereto, preferably by means of a rivet 13, Figs. 2 and 3, which is passed through an eye 14 formed on the end of the spring and firmly riveted to the plate, or, if preferred, the end of the spring may be soldered to the plate or any other Inodeof attachmentadopted which will secure the permanentattachment of the spring to the plate. When thus arranged, it is not possible for the plate to' leave the socket under any circumstances, and its function is not impaired orinterfercd with in any manuel'. The end coil of the spring where Y the latter is secured to the bearingplate is preferably enlarged, as shown, to lit within the annular iange on the plate and facilitate the connection of the spring therewith.

In the use of the device the cartridge is inserted in the socket, pressing the plate backward, and then turned to lock it in position. The spring fixed to and bearing at one end on the plate and at its other end on the .Washer-plate on the pin holds the latter yieldingly in a retracted position, as shown in Fig. l, with its rear end exposed. When the primer is to be ignited and the cartridge lired, the rear end of the pin is forcibly struck and driven forward, its pointed end passing through the bearing-plateand base-block and acting on the primer in the cartridge. 'lhc tiring-piu is free from slots or notches With v which they have been heretofore provided to guide or lock them and which have been found to weaken the pin at the point Where the greatest strength is desired.

Having thus described myinvention, what l claim isl. In a signal the combination of a socket .adapted to receive the signal-cartridge,a bearing-plate mounted in the socket and formed with an annular flange fitting snugly within the socket, a spring permanently fastened to the plate and serving to urge the Same' forward and means for iiring the cartridge.

2. ln a signal the combination with a cylindric'al socket adapted to receive the sig? nal-cartridge and provided with cartridgelocking pins projecting inwardly from the ini'iersurfaee ol' the socket, of a bearing-plate slidingly mounted in the socket in rear of the locking-pins and formed with a rearward annular flange ittingsn ugly but loosely within the socket, a spring acting on 'the plate and serving to urge the same forward, and means for liringthe cartridge.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand, this lth'day of February, 190i, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

' NVM. F. COS'ION. Witnesses:

.IonN IP. Gnocca,

W. A. MeUALL, 

